Author Topic: Field Recorders (Read 453 times)

David Houck · « **Reply #15 on:** April 15, 2006, 03:14:59 PM »

Thanks guys! I now know a lot more than I did a few hours ago! At the moment I'm at the site that David cited and the Marantz certainly looks interesting.

Bradley Young · « **Reply #16 on:** April 15, 2006, 06:05:49 PM »

Dave,

I was in the same basic boat, and I just decided to use a PC. I installed everything on Linux, rolled up a little web front end, and voila! I'm able to record the preaching at church.

Ours comes off the board into a cheap (free!) Sound Blaster, but you could get a sound card with balanced inputs and phantom power (I think there are some available for $100 or under), and Bob would, indeed, be your uncle.

As far as recording, I use Linux, since there are no copyright issues on the software, and I'm cheap. One of the problems with the packages that I found for Win/Mac was that they did not record for long enough (1+ hours), or they were pretty expensive.

I also thought most packages were too complicated.

Anyhow, I'd be happy to send you a copy of the software if you're not afraid of running Linux.

Brad

David Houck · « **Reply #17 on:** April 15, 2006, 06:32:06 PM »

I know absolutely nothing about running Linux. My laptop doesn't have much in the way of a sound card. And as stated above, we don't use a soundboard. But it's an interesting idea.

Bradley Young · « **Reply #18 on:** April 15, 2006, 10:08:56 PM »

Dave,

Your laptop could work, assuming you have a free PCMCIA slot (for the uninitiated, PCMCIA stands for People Can't Memorize Computer Industry Acronyms), FireWire port or USB port.

Here is something you could try:

The M-Audio MobilePre USB. It will show up as a plug and play sound card on Windows or Mac, and does include some recording software which seems like it will work (although it is way too high on my fiddly knobs index).

Just plug it in to your USB port and you're set.

If you don't have enough hard drive space on your laptop, consider getting an external USB hard drive. These are much cheaper than the aforementioned flash drives.

As for PCMCIA or Firewire, there are sound cards that utilize these technologies, substitute for USB above.

Brad

David Houck · « **Reply #19 on:** April 16, 2006, 04:10:36 AM »

Thanks Brad; that sounds worth persuing. I'll look around and see what I can find that would work with Windows. Anybody have any suggestions along the lines of what Brad is suggesting for working with Windows and a laptop, using USB or PCMCIA?

David Houck · « **Reply #20 on:** April 16, 2006, 06:06:04 AM »

At the moment I'm looking at the M-Audio MobilePre USB. With two XLR inputs, this seems like it will do what I want for a very reasonable price. However, the first review I've read was mixed. The reviewer said it worked surprisingly well with dynamic mics but terrible with condenser mics.

David Houck · « **Reply #21 on:** April 16, 2006, 06:31:10 AM »

Now I'm reading about the Lexicon Omega. I'm starting to reach information overload!

David Houck · « **Reply #22 on:** April 16, 2006, 07:43:50 AM »

Now I'm wondering whether something like the Omega would overwhelm my laptop. I have a Pentium III @ 1.0GHz w/ 256MB ram.

Bradley Young · « **Reply #23 on:** April 16, 2006, 08:20:45 AM »

Dave,

More memory == joy. The 1 GHz should do fine, and you might be able to get away with 256MB, but I'd suggest 1GB, honestly.

Upgrading memory is simple and user-servicable. If you want advice about how to buy computer memory, send me a private email. There are vast price differences in memory, and I'll tell you how to get a better deal.

Anyhow, the Omega looks like a much better unit: it has phantom power. I don't see it causing problems unless you're recording a bunch of tracks. Since it looks like you're only doing one or two, I think you'll be fine.

Brad

David Houck · « **Reply #24 on:** April 16, 2006, 09:10:08 AM »

Thanks Brad; I'm still thinking about the Omega.

At the moment I'm looking at the Fostex MR-8HD Digital Multitracker. It's just one piece. It has 4 XLR inputs w/ phantom power. It has a 40GB hard drive. And it has USB connection to download WAV tracks to my computer at home. It's FAT32, which means my computer at home can access it. And it's in the same price range. It's 16-bit 44.1kHz.

lbpesq · « **Reply #25 on:** April 16, 2006, 10:00:56 AM »

Reading the above reminds me why I miss my old Sony pro-walkman. I think maybe I'll sniff around for someone who can fix it. In using the Sony mini-disc (and, I would assume most other digital recorders), I realize how much I miss just being able to glance at the walkman, see the reels in the cassette spinning, and know it was on.

Dave: Please keep on updating your progress. I'm very interested in what your research turns up. Besides downgrading back to the pro walkman, I'm also considering upgrading from the mini-disc, so I may be riding your coat tails.

Bill, tgo

zuperdog · « **Reply #26 on:** April 16, 2006, 11:10:27 AM »

Dave-

I have the Lexicon Omega. If all you need is two input channels, it's a great unit. The mic pre's are decent, and it comes with Cubase software, which is my personal favorite anyways. I'm using a 1ghz mac G4 with 512mb of ram, and I have no latency problems. All I use it with is dynamic mics, but it really does sound great for everything but quiet acoustic instruments.

Only downside is it's another thing to drag around, but it's quite small, and self-contained, just a power cord and USB cable.

zuperdog · « **Reply #27 on:** April 16, 2006, 11:14:28 AM »

I would also recommend an external hard drive for use with the Omega. They are cheap and small.

David Houck · « **Reply #28 on:** April 16, 2006, 11:30:19 AM »

The Fostex MR-8HD weighs 6 pounds and is 12 wide; so the load in, setup, breakdown, load out cost is relatively small compared to the laptop/Omega. Ending up with wav tracks on my main computer seems relatively easy. The only negative comment I've seen so far is its lack of preamps for the mic inputs; which for my purposes of sticking two mics on the stage and recording live sound is probably not an issue. There is no additional media cost; total outlay would be around $400.

At the moment, this seems the best solution.

David Houck · « **Reply #29 on:** April 16, 2006, 11:35:23 AM »

Thanks Robert. I haven't seen anything about using an external drive with the Omega. How does that work?